The approach of the European elections has seen a flurry of electioneering by political leaders in Crete as elsewhere. As well as the leaders of the three main parties, the island has been visited by several government ministers, including the minister for Education Kyriakos Pierrakakis, who visited the University of Crete and the Hellenic Mediterranean University in Heraklion last week, and Minister of State Akis Skertsos.
Visiting Chania last Thursday, 30th May, Mr Skertsos officially announced the handing over of the Italian Barracks complex to the Municipality of Chania for the erection of a new municipal headquarters. The iconic building at the top of Tzanagaki Street, next to the Park of Peace and Friendship, had formerly housed the Chania War Museum before it was destroyed by fire on the night of 22nd July 2018. As the building was mainly constructed of wood, little except the external shell remains.
Accompanied by local MPs and the mayor of Chania on a visit to the site, Mr Skertsos said that the exploitation of unused public property “is a strategic priority for the Finance Ministry and the Prime Minister and we have given a clear direction to the management of the ETAD (Hellenic Public Properties Co.) to thoroughly investigate its portfolio throughout the country, to see if there are similarly unused buildings which are falling into disrepair and which represent part of the historic heritage of each town or city.” The government’s aim, he said, is for all such buildings to be given to or put at the service of citizens, residents and municipal authorities, “to serve operational needs”.
Addressing Chania MP Dora Bakogianni, the minister thanked her for the idea, which had originated with her, and her efforts together with MPs Sevi Voloudaki and Alexandros Makrogiannakis to have the historic and culturally interesting building of the Italian Barracks made over to the community as a functioning adornment to the city.
The mayor of Chania Panagiotis Simandirakis called the official announcement of the handover to the Municipality a happy day after 31/2 years of negotiations. The Municipality, he said, would now be able to realise the utilisation of the heritage building for the benefit of its citizens: “The scheme concerns the operation of the City Hall of Chania in a new building, which will be worthy of the city’s architectural and historical heritage, within an overall plan which includes subsidiary uses as IKA offices, along with the pedestrianisation of Tzanakaki Street and the major renovation of the Municipal Garden and the Park of Peace and Friendship.”
The transfer plan is expected to be ratified by the Municipal Council, after which the ETAD will be sent a request for clarification of the terms of the transfer and the amount of rent payable, which the mayor said will be very low.
Dora Bakogianni recalled that when she first met the then minister of Defence Nikos Panagiotopoulos after the building’s destruction, “we talked about this vision, of a different municipal headquarters and the preservation of the cultural heritage of Chania. … When this gem was burned down, we were all very saddened, but today we have the prospect of its restoration, of turning it into a modern, functional municipal HQ, of once again making it a landmark for anyone visiting Chania.”
MP Sevi Voloudaki made reference to the great efforts made to overcome many bureaucratic obstacles between the Defence and Finance ministries, but as she said: “our city will finally have the City Hall which it merits.”
The terms of the agreement
After reporting on the meeting at the Italian Barracks last Friday, Haniotika Nea this week published the terms of the proposed transfer agreement, as follows.
The agreement for the assignment of the Italian Barracks, presented by ETAD and due to be studied by the Municipal Council on 5th June, allows for a lease period of 25 years at an annual rent of €12,000, with annual adjustments for inflation and a reassessment of the deal after 12 years.
Among the conditions to be discussed by the Municipal Council are an extension of the lease by 10 years “so long as the Municipality has implemented the aims of the agreement and will be punctual in the fulfilment of its contractual obligations.”
There is also a provision that “if in the space of 8 years from the signature of the agreement the aim of the concession has not been implemented by the Municipality, the ETAD can terminate the agreement without penalty to itself, solely and exclusively in the case of delay incurred by the Municipality.”
There is also provision for a return of “50 per cent of the rents which the Municipality may agree with any permanent private concessions for use of parts of the building after its restoration (e.g. cafeteria, shops), or of the Municipality’s net income in the case of it operating [such facilities] itself”.
The Municipality of Chania is called upon to accept the terms of the concession in writing within 40 calendar days.
(Haniotika Nea, 31/05/24, 05/06/24)